KCFT-TV

Last updated

KCFT-TV
Channels
Ownership
OwnerJerry Bassett, Inc.
History
First air date
February 5, 1966 (1966-02-05)
Last air date
September 19, 1966 (1966-09-19)
Technical information
ERP 269 kW [1]
HAAT 540 ft (160 m)

KCFT-TV was an independent television station operating on channel 42 at Concord, California, United States. The station was owned by Jerry Bassett, Inc., and broadcast for seven months in 1966.

History

Jerry Bassett, Inc., filed in 1965 to move channel 16, an educational reserved assignment at Cotati, to Concord for immediate commercial use; Bassett had previously managed a Contra Costa County radio station, KKIS. [2] The Federal Communications Commission declined but instead suggested moving channel 42, another reserved assignment, from Stockton to nearby Pittsburg, where it could still be used in Concord under a rule permitting the use of an allocation in a nearby community within 15 miles (24 km). [3] Bassett then received a construction permit for channel 42 on May 25, 1965. [4] The station was initially planned for a November 1 debut, broadcasting from a transmitter and interim studios on Willow Pass Road between Pittsburg and Concord and utilizing offices on A Street in Concord; [5] however, the station struggled to obtain local and tower permits in a timely manner. [6]

KCFT-TV signed on the air on February 5, 1966. [7] [1] At that year's National Association of Broadcasters convention, Bassett stated that the total investment made in starting the station was $470,000; despite eliminating what he called "frills and extras", the station's programming still included daily hours of news and sports. [8] However, much of the rest of it was older fare; San Francisco Examiner television columnist Dwight Newton described KCFT-TV's lineup as "mostly a collection of network and syndicated films revisited". [9]

Severe undercapitalization did the station in quickly. As early as July, it was public knowledge that channel 42 was in "difficult financial straits". [10] As time passed, the number of hours of programming per day dropped from 16 to 3, while just two personnel remained. [11] The September 12 edition of Broadcasting magazine carried an ad declaring KCFT-TV for sale, boasting of its color film capabilities and six cameras. [12] The week that followed saw two lawsuits for nonpayment, from program distributor ITC Entertainment and equipment manufacturer Sarkes Tarzian; [13] channel 42 slated a telethon auction on September 17 and 18 in a desperate bid to raise funds, with Bassett noting that he needed a "miracle". [14] It was not to be. The station met its end on September 19, when representatives of equipment manufacturer General Electric arrived at the station with a moving van, a deputy sheriff, a locksmith, and a court order to repossess some $128,000 in equipment that was not fully paid for. [11] A bankruptcy court allowed the station to try and raise additional funds, [11] but in November, the bankruptcy court appointed a trustee and ordered its sale [7] with a January 1967 deadline for bids. [15]

The permit was sold in 1969 to a consortium known as T.V. Hill, a joint venture of Television Communications Inc. and Watson Communications Systems Inc., for $13,500. [16] The new permittees filed to have the channel assignment moved to Concord proper, citing its larger population and definition of Concord as partly in the San Francisco media market, whereas Pittsburg was entirely in the Sacramento market. [17] Meanwhile, Bassett filed a $3.4 million lawsuit against General Electric and a Walnut Creek bank, alleging that he had stopped paying the manufacturer after the equipment delivered was found to be defective. [18]

On May 7, 1971, the KCFT-TV permit and call letters were deleted at the request of the permittee, but the FCC still decided to approve the allocation shift. [19]

Channel 42 would return to the air on June 19, 1983, as KFCB (now KTNC-TV)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WATL</span> MyNetworkTV affiliate in Atlanta

WATL is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside NBC affiliate WXIA-TV. Both stations share studios at One Monroe Place on the north end of midtown Atlanta. WATL's transmitter shares a broadcast tower with several other local stations near North Druid Hills, just northeast of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPGH-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Pittsburgh

WPGH-TV is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WPNT. Both stations share studios on Ivory Avenue in the city's Summer Hill neighborhood, where WPGH-TV's transmitter is also located.

KBCW is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving the San Francisco Bay Area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations group alongside CBS owned-and-operated station KPIX-TV, also licensed to San Francisco. Both stations share studios at Broadway and Battery Street, just north of San Francisco's Financial District, while KBCW's transmitter is located atop Sutro Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXFT-DT</span> UniMás TV station in Aurora, Illinois

WXFT-DT is a television station licensed to Aurora, Illinois, United States, broadcasting the Spanish-language UniMás network to the Chicago area. It is owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision alongside Joliet-licensed Univision outlet WGBO-DT. Both stations share studios on Fairbanks Court in the Streeterville neighborhood, while WXFT-DT's transmitter is located atop the Willis Tower.

WKOI-TV is a television station licensed to Richmond, Indiana, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Dayton, Ohio area. Owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains studios on South 9th Street in Richmond. Transmission facilities are provided by unrelated NBC affiliate WDTN, which shares its digital channel with WKOI-TV through a channel sharing agreement, along with WDTN's sister station, Springfield, Ohio–licensed CW affiliate WBDT ; the transmitter is located on Frytown Road in southwest Dayton.

WHCT-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 35, is a low-powered MeTV owned-and-operated television station dually licensed to Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The station is owned by Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting. WHCT-LD's transmitter is located on Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington.

Southern Oregon PBS is the PBS member network for most of the southwest region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It operates KSYS in Medford and full-time satellite KFTS in Klamath Falls. Studios are located on South Fir Street in downtown Medford. KSYS' transmitter is located on King Mountain, while KFTS' transmitter is atop Stukel Mountain.

KCSG-LD, virtual channel 8, is a low-powered television station licensed to Ogden, Utah, United States. The station is owned by Weigel Broadcasting. KCSG-LD's transmitter is located on SR-68 in Woods Cross, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCAN-TV</span> Television station in Wisconsin, United States

WCAN-TV was a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, which operated from 1953 to 1955. It was the second television station and first ultra high frequency (UHF) outlet in Milwaukee and was owned by Midwest Broadcasting Company. Affiliated with CBS throughout its history, it shut down when the network bought its primary competitor, WOKY-TV, taking with it the CBS affiliation; Poller sold the physical plant to CBS, while the WCAN-TV construction permit remained active and in force until 1969.

KDYS-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 32, is a low-powered Daystar owned-and-operated television station licensed to Spokane, Washington, United States. The station is owned by the Word of God Fellowship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KBTU-LD</span> Television station in Utah, United States

KBTU-LD, virtual channel 23, is a low power television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The station is owned by HC2 Holdings. The General Manager of KBTU is Ed Distel. KBTU is available over-the-air and on local cable but not on any of the satellite services.

KJNK-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 25, is a low-powered Telemundo-affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States and serving the Twin Cities television market. The station is owned by HC2 Holdings. KJNK-LD's transmitter is located at the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis.

WGBS-TV was a television station that broadcast on channel 23 in Miami, Florida, United States, from 1953 to 1957. Originally established as WFTL-TV in Fort Lauderdale, it moved south to Miami when it was purchased by Storer Broadcasting at the end of 1954 and consolidated with a construction permit Storer bought for a Miami station.

WNAO-TV, UHF analog channel 28, was a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Owned by the Sir Walter Television Company, it was the first television station in the Raleigh–Durham area and the first UHF television station in North Carolina, broadcasting from July 12, 1953, to December 31, 1957. The station closed because of the establishment of higher-powered, more accessible VHF television stations in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLNM-LD</span> WILX-TV translator in Lansing, Michigan

WLNM-LD is a low-power television station in Lansing, Michigan, United States. It is a translator of Onondaga-licensed NBC affiliate WILX-TV which is owned by Gray Television. WLNM-LD's transmitter is located on River Street along the Red Cedar River southeast of Lansing; its parent station maintains studios on American Road in the city.

WACH-TV, UHF analog channel 33, was a commercial television station licensed to Newport News, Virginia, United States, which broadcast from 1953 until 1955. The station was owned by the Eastern Broadcasting Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFWT-TV</span> Former TV station in Fort Worth, Texas

KFWT-TV was a television station broadcasting on channel 21 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was owned by the Trinity Broadcasting Company and served the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. KFWT-TV broadcast from 1967 to 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCIT-TV (Kansas City)</span> Television station in Missouri, United States

KCIT-TV, UHF analog channel 50, was an independent television station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It was the first new commercial television station to operate in Kansas City in nearly 15 years. It broadcast from October 29, 1969, to July 8, 1971, failing due to financial difficulties. After the station ceased broadcasting, the equipment was acquired by Community Service Broadcasting of Mid-America, which had also purchased public television station KCSD-TV ; KCIT-TV's equipment and KCSD-TV's license were used to relaunch public television in Kansas City as KCPT in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WENS (TV)</span> Former TV station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WENS was a television station broadcasting on UHF channel 16 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1953 to 1957. An ABC and CBS affiliate, it was one of two early UHF television stations in Pittsburgh. The arrival of stronger VHF stations and struggles generally applicable to UHF broadcasting in the early years of television prompted the station to close and sell its technical facilities to educational broadcaster WQED for use as a second educational channel, WQEX.

KVOF-TV was a television station that broadcast on channel 38 in San Francisco from 1968 to 1985. It was last owned by the Faith Broadcasting Network, controlled by pastor W. Eugene Scott, and was one of three television stations he owned; prior to its existence as a Christian station, it was built as independent station KUDO before going bankrupt in 1971 and being off the air for more than three years. It broadcast from San Bruno Mountain.

References

  1. 1 2 "KCFT-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1967. p. A-7. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Jerry Bassett". Sacramento Bee. October 29, 1991. p. B5. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Stockton suggestion draws NAEB dissent" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 25, 1965. p. 54. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  4. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 31, 1965. p. 79. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Concord TV Gets Call Sign". Oakland Tribune. September 9, 1965. p. 18. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  6. ↑ Fiset, Bill (August 20, 1965). "Man Alive". Oakland Tribune. p. 21. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Court Orders Bankrupt TV Station To Be Sold". Oakland Tribune. November 30, 1966. p. 27. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Formulas for UHF success" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 4, 1966. p. 113. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ Newton, Dwight (January 30, 1966). "Will UHF Offer Anything Ultra?". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  10. ↑ "KCFT Financial Dilemma Aired". The Daily Transcript. July 29, 1966. pp. 1, 2 . Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 "Concord TV Station Is Bankrupt". Humboldt Times. Associated Press. September 22, 1966. p. 2. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  12. ↑ "For Sale, All or Part, California: Operating UHF TV Station" (PDF). September 12, 1966. p. 100. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Local TV Sued for $80,000". The Daily Transcript. September 16, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  14. ↑ "KCFT-TV Appeals For Funds". The Daily Transcript. September 12, 1966. pp. 1, 2 . Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  15. ↑ "KCFT-TV Ch 42 Concord, California Offered for Sale" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 19, 1966. p. 83. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  16. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 7, 1968. p. 100. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  17. ↑ "TELEVISION BROADCAST STATIONS: Table of Assignments; Pittsburg and Concord, Calif" (PDF). Federal Register. September 10, 1970. p. 14270. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Channel 42 Owner Sues For Millions". Oakland Tribune. September 18, 1969. p. 22. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Table of Assignments; Television Broadcast Stations, Pittsburg and Concord, Calif" (PDF). Federal Register. June 24, 1971. p. 12010. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.